Soft Plastic Blues

[MN Basser]

I've probably put over 10 hours in on soft plastics with no fish at all. I can catch 'em on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and topwaters. But not plastics. So what are your top 5 all time favorite/dependable soft plastics, and how are you fishing them?? Thanks.

[mpharris1989]

in my oppinion, i liked the berkley power worm texas rigged to get me started with soft plastics

[beastieboy]

try a zoom finesse worm or a fry in green pumpkin on a 1/8 shakey head or a berkley 7 worm

[Big-O]

Berkley power worms, Rage Tail craws-shad-toad-chunks, Sweet Beaver. I Don't throw anything else cause these gitter done.

[grimlin]

in my oppinion, i liked the berkley power worm texas rigged to get me started with soft plastics

For the life of me when i fish a worm,this is the only one i really get bites on the most.Or wacky rig a senko weightless works wonders.Something about wacky rigs work well where i fish,gonna guess not too many fish see this technique much.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

A 6 -7.5 inch ribbon tail style worm texas rigged is definately the easiest way to start.You can catch fish just about anywhere with it.Offshore structure,brush,wood weeds,drop offs,top or bottom.You can at least catch a few in any body of water even if it heavy pressure.

 I prefer yum ribbon tails over all else.They just flat out catch fish.I get too many bream,turtles,and catfish using that powerbait.Use 2/0 to 4/0 hook(EWG if you prefer)and almost always a 1/16 or 1/8 oz weight.You really dont need a bigger weight unless fishing deep 15ft plus or trying to penetrate weeds.Generally the slower fall rate is better,but sometimes in deeper water a fast fall can get a reaction.

 Real important to change your retrieve method every few casts if your in a prime location.Crawl,deadstick,short hops,high hops,slow swim,fast swim,twitch and erratic,or just mix up all the methods together.

 This is, in many opinions, one of the esiest way to catch LMB under a variety of conditons,cover and water type.Use light colors: watermelon seed,green pumpkin,pumpkin seed,water melon/red for clear water.Red shad and junebug my personal favs for heavy stain,and black/blue,black,blue fleck for muddy or brown water.

I am kinda shocked that you said you can catch fish on jigs but not plastics.The bass scoff at any jig I toss.Its just not my confidence bait to say the least. :

[BassFishingMachine]

GYCB Kut-Tail: 5inch rigged weightless/weedless (cinnamon brown or Greenpumpkin)

GYCB Fat Ika: rigged weightless/weedless (black/blue or greenpumpkin)

GYCB Senko: 4-5inch rigged weightless/weedless (Cinnamon Brown, Greenpumpkin, Black, Watermelonseed, Watermelonred)

YUM Wooly Hogtail: 4 1/2 inches rigged weightless/weedless and worked along the top of weeds or just fished regularly, or pegged  

                            with a bullet weight and flipped. (Greenpumpkin)

Berkley Powerworm: 4inch rigged weightless/weedless (camo, redshad, pumpkinseed)

I also like Zoom Baby Brush Hogs rigged with a bullet weight/weedless and flipped into cover or just worked regularly, but I always add a bullet weight to these. (greenpumpkin, Watermelonred)

[Catt]

I seriously doubt your problem is name brand or how you're fishing the plastic but rather where and when you're fishing the plastic. Odds are if you're catching bass on spinner, crank, and top water baits (upper water column) the bass will not hit bottom baits. now if you're catching bass on jigs but not plastic you may want to try bulkier baits like creature baits.  

[Davis]

in my oppinion, i liked the berkley power worm texas rigged to get me started with soft plastics

Agreed. Start with the 7" power worm lineup (black with chartruse tail)

Rig it weightless and burn it like a spinnerbait. Also try fishing it like a jerkbait. (few jerks than pause and let it sink a bit)

That's how I started fishing plastics as a teenager and had great results in the creeks and ponds.

I didn't start fishing plastic worms on the bottom until this year because I had such success fishing them weightless in the upper water column. Give that whirl! Than move onto other plastics after you have mastered the worm. Work on one style of bait at a time. That's what I did with the plastics and now I'm confident in fishing almost all of them. Now crankbaits are going to be something that I will be turning to this year and trying to master.

[JT Bagwell]

I seriously doubt your problem is name brand or how you're fishing the plastic but rather where and when you're fishing the plastic.

I agree 100% with that statement. Anyway, here are my top 5 in no particular order.

5" Senko (Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits)

Shad Shape Worm (Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits)

Kut Tail Worm (Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits)

Kreature (Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits)

Flappin' Hog (Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits)

They are picture below (in the order I listed them).

JT Bagwell

[.dsaavedra.]

get your self a pack of 7" "blue Fleck" berkley power worms, and a pack of 4" "june bug" YUM dingers and a pack of 2/0 gamakatsu offset EWG hooks and your set!

[HesterIsGod]

I seriously doubt your problem is name brand or how you're fishing the plastic but rather where and when you're fishing the plastic. Odds are if you're catching bass on spinner, crank, and top water baits (upper water column) the bass will not hit bottom baits. now if you're catching bass on jigs but not plastic you may want to try bulkier baits like creature baits.

Couldnt agree more. Any brand or type of soft plastic will catch bass eventually. Its gotta be the way your fishing it. Since you catch fish on spinnerbaits and crankbaits im guessing that your fishing too fast. Look up articles on this sight. if all else fails, use a weightless senko, i havent met a person alive that couldnt catch a fish on that.

[Terry_]

  Every year I try to introduce a few people to "the sport". When I do I always start them off with a texas rigged worm. It seems to be the easiest bait for me to coach them on, except maybe a lipless crank but we're talking newbies in a boat.. safety first .  Anyway, maybe all you need is to go fishing with someone that has some soft plastic experience and get a little coaching. Ask a lot of questions, try your best to follow instructions, and you'll pick up enough to start catching fish in one day. Good luck man!

[flippincrazy]

slow down. get a mojo rig with a straight shank worm hook and a 4 inch finesse worm (Zoom). crawl it across the bottom as slow as you possibly can on spinning gear, bites will generally feel like a rubber band stretching.

[NBR]

I suspect there is something in your equipment, you are not setting the hook in time or you are not recognizing a pick up. With a boat full of crank baits, spinner baits and so on I now probably use soft plastics 90% of the time. I fish them from the surface to 60' or more. Fast, slow and in between.

[krisjack69]

What is a mojo rig.never heard of it.

[SPAZ]

believe it or not years ago I've used artifcial worms only twice and both times it was a berkley power worm(I only used to use live bait until recently) and both times I've caught two good size bass.  Both times I was deadsticking the worm and it worked.  I'm going to make more of an effort to use worms next year when the weather gets nice again.